Garrett Leight

In 2009 I had a crazy idea at the age of 25 to open a multi-brand retail shop on Abbot Kinney in Venice Beach focused on dispensing prescription eyewear to an incredible community of creative individuals. The community of Venice at that time became my muse and I was eager to share what was happening there with the world. Starting in 2010 it became my mission to share our story thru our lifestyle and our creations, and over time myself and my team turned that retail experience into a global eyewear brand carried in thousands of the best retailers throughout Europe, Asia, and North America. As well as opening eight retail stores of our own in North America and a global e-commerce business. Building this brand has been the greatest joy of my life allowing me to work with the greatest people in the eyewear industry and building an incredible global network of sales reps, distributors, operators, logistics, customer service, suppliers, and everything in between. I am absolutely an eyewear lifer and thru my experiences running this brand I have learned valuable lessons, not just about design or marketing, but more notably about business strategy, management and development. What I've learned about myself after two decades of building a multi million dollar business is that solving problems with a team of talented individuals is where I shine. I love having an attainable goal and working to achieve it with a solid plan, figuring out each problem, coming up with a solution, and then getting the result and moving on to the next item. Of course I also love branding, fashion & style, and creating a unique collection that our customers can't live without also brings me joy. In my opinion, design and marketing are an ever changing part of the fashion business that requires an elite awareness and even then is never guaranteed. However, the principles of running a sustainable business do not evolve as quickly, and operational excellence is the key to long term success that brings me the most joy. That and working with incredible good people bringing each other happiness in our careers.